Take Me
by x0xDark-Angelx0x
Summary: Nominated Best Angst First Quarter 2011.  She doesn't want to get involved. She wants to forget it all after her mission in Sengoku Jidai is complete, but she can't always get what she wants...however Gin Ichimaru does, and he wants Kagome. Kag/Gin
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. InuYasha is the property of Takahashi Rumiko and Bleach is the property of Kubo Tite.

"talking"

'_thinking_'

**Chapter I: Involved**

-o-o-o-

'_It's not bad here. The people seem friendly enough, and there are plenty of things to do to keep me distracted.'_

Kagome sighed softly as she looked up at the blue canvas overhead, following the clouds as they lazily inched across the sky.

Two years, three months, and fifteen days. It has been two years, three months, and fifteen days since she had returned to the present and her life in Sengoku Jidai ended. Her mother, deciding that perhaps a change in location would help Kagome accept the devastating realization of never being able to return, packed them up and moved to Karakura Town. It's not like she protested much on moving, in fact she readily agreed. But her mother didn't realize that Kagome had accepted her banishment the moment she returned.

Her hands grasped the grass beneath her body and shook her head violently as her thoughts began to wander back to those last few moments.

'_I won't think about it. I won't think about it. I won't think about it' _Kagome chanted to herself, taking a deep breath and calming her shaking body.

She had graduated high school only by sheer willpower. Needing something to focus on, she buried herself in her studies, using Chemistry and Calculus formulas to distract her troubled mind. Kagome's mother asked if she was going to college, but Kagome shook her head. She didn't want to go…maybe later on, but right now, she just needed time to wander and get a feel of moving on. Misora only nodded her head, saying that it was fine with her. Honestly, Kagome was grateful to have a mother like Misora, she never pushed her into anything that she didn't want, but was always there for advice. She doesn't deserve such love. She doesn't deserve to have a mother who cared and worried so much.

'_Not like I can blame her for worrying'_ Kagome snorted, _'for the past three days I've lain in the backyard watching the sky doing nothing,' _

Kagome sighed again and then slowly dragged herself to her feet. _'I'll go walking for a bit. I should at least try to ease Mama's thoughts.'_

Brushing off dirt, Kagome made her way in the town, taking in her surroundings carefully. Although they had moved here to get away from Kagome's supernatural past, there is nothing normal about Karakura Town at all.

Although she suppressed her miko powers and aura when she returned home, she was still able to draw upon them without actually using them. Because of this, Kagome could clearly see the multiple spirits roaming about. But spirits aren't the only thing that dwelled in this town…no, there are monsters too.

Monsters of all shapes and sizes with holes in their chests that terrified the spirits and attempted to cause havoc. She knew right away that they weren't demons, but something else entirely. She had seen other strange things too, people in odd black and white uniforms with swords that sailed through the air slaying the creatures. Apparently other humans didn't notice them.

'_Go figure, I'm the freak show again that can see stuff like this,'_ Kagome thought bemusedly.

She didn't want to see stuff like this, she wanted to be blissfully ignorant like other people, but she couldn't. So she did the only thing she could do and walked away.

-o-o-o-

Out of nowhere a roar reverberated throughout the town. Kagome could feel it echoing in her bones.

'_Another one of those monster things… and it feels close.'_ Then she saw it, the monster standing erect, the face covered with a white mask. It was a sickly green color, with scales and long claws. It roared again, swiping its claws through the air viciously. Suddenly she heard a shriek. Quickly spotting what made the sound, she saw a small spirit girl desperately trying to crawl away on the ground.

'_Damn it! Where the hell are those slaying people? They need to hurry up and stop that thing!' _But her angry demand wasn't answered; instead the monster reached down and grabbed the crying girl, squeezing her tightly.

She wanted to walk away, pretend that she hadn't seen anything.

But she couldn't.

'_Shit. I was really hoping to avoid this at all costs,'_ Kagome thought.

Quickly she muttered a spell under her breath turning her body invisible to the normal human eye as she ran forward to where the crying girl was captive. As she reached the monster, it turned to look at her, giving out a loud cry. The thing swiped at her with its free hand but Kagome lithely jumped away. She closed her eyes for a second and focused, drawing her concentration together. When she opened her eyes a black sword was grasped tightly in her right hand. There was a small tweak in her senses, but she ignored it.

She smirked.

"Come get me ugly!" she yelled and rushed toward the monster. It responded with a low roar and tried to crush her with its feet. But it wasn't fast enough.

Kagome sped across the ground, jumped up and swiped her blade through the arm that held the girl. The girl began to fall through the air with a shriek as the monster yelled in pain. Kagome dived after the spirit, her hair whipping wildly in the air as she grabbed the girl by the arm and somersaulted safely to the ground. Putting her down, she looked at the girl, "Go. Run. Understand?" she said in a clipped voice.

The girl nodded, whispering her thanks and ran.

Kagome turned back around to face the monster that was still thrashing around in pain. It wasn't powerful at all, just big and annoying, she wasn't even winded.

'_Time to end this.'_

Kagome ran again to the monster, leaping as it went to grab her and lightly touched her foot on its arm, using it as leverage. Jumping high in the air right in front of its face, she grabbed her sword in both hands and brought it down hard right in the center of its head.

The monster gave a final roar as she split it into two and then began to disintegrate.

As she gently landed on the ground, she sighed. That was easy enough, but she still got involved.

'_This will be the only time. I only did it to save that girl. Never again.'_

She was about to meld her sword back into her being when she felt the same tweak she did earlier.

Slowly, she turned around, her sword still grasped tightly in her hand. There, in front of her were four of the monster hunters. They were clad in their odd black and white uniform, besides one, who wore brown and green clothing with a pin-striped hat.

One of the slayer-hunter guys took a step forward, his eyes looking at her intently. He looked to be about sixteen to eighteen or so and had a shock of bright orange hair on his head. In his grasp was a ginormous sword that he held in both hands.

"Who are you?" he asked as he pointed his sword at her.

Kagome watched as he readied himself into a fighting pose.

'_Ah shit.'_

-o-o-o-

**Author's Notes**

Here's the first chapter of Take Me, and I hope you like it :)

I know, it's strange that of all pairings that I would pick Gin with Kagome, but hey, I love them. There is just something so attractive to his sadistic tendencies…or maybe I'm just weird lol.

This fic is something that I came up with on a spur of the moment so I have a general idea of how I want it to go, but I don't have every detail down yet. It will take some time to get Gin interacted with Kagome but yes, there will be romance. It will just happen to need some time to get there.

As of right now, there is no set update time or chapter length which might change later on.

Anyway, review and tell me if I should continue or not.

Until next time, ja ne! ^.^


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Oh please, as if I'd own Bleach or Inuyasha. If I did, Aizen wouldn't have stabbed Gin and Kagome would have ended up with Sesshomaru not Inuyasha.

"talking"

'_thinking'_

**Chapter II: Interrogation**

-o-o-o-

"Hey, did you hear me? I asked who you are," called the boy with orange hair again.

Kagome said nothing as she watched the four hunters stare at her intensely. Besides the boy with orange hair, there was a small girl with short black hair, an older looking boy with deep red hair pulled back into a ponytail with tattoos on his face, and a man with blond hair that peeked out of his striped hat.

They didn't look like they'd hurt her and the boy who spoke's tone was merely curious. She was thinking about whether or not she should tell them her name when the man in the hat stepped forward, putting his hand on the shoulder of the boy with the orange hair.

"Ichigo, stop pointing your zanpakuto at the girl, no wonder she's not saying anything," he said. Then he looked at her and said kindly, "My apologies miss, we don't mean you any harm. We simply would like to know who you are. It's not every day we come across a girl killing a Hollow."

Kagome watched as the boy-Ichigo? - lowered his sword and slung it over his shoulder. For a moment her breath caught in her throat and she felt like she'd just been hit in the stomach. His stance, the intensity of his gaze, the way his sword rested on his shoulder…suddenly the image of a certain hanyou carelessly brandishing his large sword came to mind.

'_No. No, it's not him. Stop Kagome, just breathe,'_ she thought to herself. After taking a few deep breaths, she nodded at them and then allowed her sword to dissipate. It is a part of her and when she is done using it, it returns to her. She could see their interest peak when her sword vanished, but she reclaimed their attention when she spoke.

"My name is Kagome," she said, purposely leaving out her last name.

The man with the hat smiled, "I am Kisuke Urahara. This is Ichigo Kurosaki," pointing to the boy with orange hair. "That is Renji Abarai" Gesturing to the tattooed boy. "And last, but not least, this is Rukia Kuchiki," he said, indicating the small sized girl.

Kagome bowed, "Pleased to meet you."

"If you don't mind, would you come with us for a little while? I own a shop just a block over and I would like to ask a few questions." Urahara asked.

Kagome narrowed her eyes and considered what he said. He seemed trustworthy enough, but she knew that a snake could hide beneath the beauty of a flower. She couldn't even look at Ichigo at the moment, but her instinct told her that he's okay. The other two, Renji and Rukia, they haven't said anything yet, but from what she could tell, they were alright. After another moment Kagome nodded her head and began to follow the group as they lead the way.

-o-o-o-

"Should we tell her?" asked Ichigo.

Currently he, Urahara, Rukia, and Renji were in another room discussing what to do with the strange girl they found as she ate a meal prepared by Tessai.

"No. That's ridiculous, we have no idea who she is, who she's working for, or what she'll do with the information," protested Rukia.

"Ahh, but Rukia, it's obvious she isn't working for anyone, given to her confusion at not knowing who we are when she saw us. I get the feeling that she should be informed…my gut says to trust her. As for not knowing who she is, that's why we invited her here."

"I agree with Urahara," Renji said.

"Alright, fine with me," Ichigo said with a shrug.

"Three against two Rukia, seems like we're telling her." Urahara said. "Now let's hurry up and get back before she starts wondering what we're saying about her,"

The four made their way back into the room where Kagome had finished eating and was sitting politely.

"Kagome, you were able to see us perfectly right? The Hollows too?" Urahara asked.

Realizing that "Hollow" was equivalent to "giant ugly monster", Kagome gave a nod.

"Were you able to see us before we came upon you?"

Another nod.

"Where did you learn to fight?"

Kagome looked at him for a moment before answering, "My sensei taught me to fight a while back,"

Urahara nodded as he took in what she said. It was an answer that avoided revealing much.

"Can you do anything else?"

Kagome turned her head to see that it was Renji who spoke.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you have other abilities? Like, besides swinging a sword?"

"No, that's it," Kagome lied smoothly.

The room was quiet as they all thought about that. Then another voice asked

"Why were you there? Why did you save the girl?" It was Rukia who asked, her eyes glued to Kagome with suspicion.

'_Oh great, I haven't even talked to the girl yet and she hates me,'_

Kagome looked back at her evenly and said, "I was out for a walk when the monster thing-the Hollow-appeared. As for why I saved her," Kagome's eyes narrowed "I wouldn't let her get slaughtered when I could do something about it."

"You don't even know her,"

"So what? I'm not going to let anyone die like that,"

"She's already dead."

Kagome froze. Slowly she shook her head. "I'm not heartless. Maybe you wouldn't save her, but I would. That's why we're two different people." She said coldly, the words biting into Rukia.

The room seemed to grow cooler, dropping a few degrees as Kagome and Rukia stared at each other.

The boys shifted uncomfortably as the tension between the girls thickened, luckily Urahara saved the day.

"Kagome, I'm sure Rukia didn't mean for it to come out like that. She wasn't trying to say that you shouldn't have saved that girl, or that she wouldn't, she was just trying to understand _why_ an innocent bystander would go through the trouble."

Kagome broke her gaze away from Rukia to Urahara then gave a curt nod.

Urahara clapped his hands and smiled, "Now then, I'm sure you have many questi-"

"No." Kagome said, cutting him off.

Around the room eyebrows rose and puzzled looks were thrown at her.

"You don't have any questions?" asked Urahara confusedly.

"No, I don't." Kagome said in a serious tone.

"Okay…well then I guess I'll just explain who we are and the basics of what's going on."

He stopped again as Kagome raised her hand, indicating for him not to say any more.

Kagome shook her head and stood up.

"I don't want to know. I have no desire to get involved or be told the things you keep hidden from other people. If there is one thing in the world that I could avoid at the moment, it would be to involve myself in things that shouldn't include me in the first place. Thank you very much for the food, it was nice meeting you all. I'll take my leave now," she said with a bow.

Ignoring the shocked stares they were giving, she walked across the room and left.

-o-o-o-

**Author's Note**

Oh my! Two updates in two days? I must love you all haha xD I have up to chapter five written already, so review for more!

Thank you very much to everyone who has put me and this fic on their favorite and alert list, I'm glad you like it :)

To my reviewers, you guys rock!

Sadly, I can't reply to readers who aren't logged in or don't have an account, and the Fanfiction website doesn't like having responses posted here in stories, so I'm sorry for not writing back. But I would like to say thank you to all of you: Anna, xoulblade, Keep Writing, and Hiding In Your Closet.

Oh, and Hiding In Your Closet, I completely agree that there are not enough Kag/Gin fics! I love them sooo much haha.

REVIEW! Gin demands it!

ja ne! :D


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Must you torture me? I don't own Bleach or Inuyasha, but I do own the storyline and all my weird plot ideas.

"talking"

'_thinking'_

**Chapter III: Guilt**

-o-o-o-

They continued to stare at the screen door long after it had been shut. That was certainly unexpected.

Renji coughed, trying to break the awkward silence. "Anyone else as confused as me?" he asked.

Ichigo, Kisuke, and Rukia just blinked.

"I'll take that as a yes."

Just then Tessai spoke, "I believe that girl is the most intelligent creature I have ever met,"

Urahara jumped, then rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as he said, "Oh Tessai, I forgot you were here. But what do you mean?"

Tessai took off his glasses and rubbed them on his shirt.

"She used her brain. The affairs of shinigami don't pertain to her, and while she had to get herself tangled up with saving that girl, she didn't use it as a way to get information. By not getting involved she can live a normal life. From my judgment I believe a normal life is exactly what she is striving for."

"Does that mean she's lived an abnormal life?" asked Ichigo.

"We could only assume so."

Rukia snorted. "It is selfish of her. After all this she can't just walk out!"

Renji raised his eyebrow, "I thought you didn't want her to know anything?"

Rukia huffed.

Urahara shook his head. "If she doesn't wish to get involved, that is her choice, but I have a question."

"Yeah?" replied everyone.

"Why does she not have an aura?"

The question stumped them all. Every being has an aura, no matter how faint or weak. It is impossible to not have one, and equally impossible to completely hide it. It can be pushed into a miniscule size, barely noticed, but that is the key word. _Barely. _It is even harder to do such a thing when you're powerful, just look at Ichigo. Anyone can find him from miles away. But that sprite of a girl has just jumbled up the basic foundation all shinigami know.

Urahara chuckled.

"I like this girl," he said.

Something told him that she was going to bring a lot of excitement into Karakura Town.

-o-o-o-

"Dear, are you alright?" Misora asked opening the door to Kagome's new bedroom.

Kagome had arrived back home and gone straight to bed, only giving a quick greeting to her family. Flopping over on her side, she shot her mom a tired grin.

"I'm fine mama, just worn out."

"Alright then sweetheart, if you need me I'll be next door with the neighbors. Grandpa and Souta went out shopping,"

Kagome nodded and listened as her mother's footsteps faded away.

The events that happened only about an hour ago were playing through her mind. She felt bad just leaving them so rudely, but she honestly didn't want to get involved. She could only imagine what was really going on, for all she knew, they could be in the middle of a war.

War.

The thought of it made Kagome's mood darken. She knew war, perhaps better than anyone would ever think she would. She knew what it felt like to be in the heat of battle, death surrounding you, leaving no escape. She closed her eyes tightly as she tried to brush away the horrid memories.

There had been so much blood, it was everywhere. So many were dead, corpses lying all around and decaying. She remembered plunging her sword into demons and humans alike because they all worked for Naraku. They all wanted her dead.

She could feel the warm sticky liquid rushing over her hands, splattering over her clothes and face as she pulled her weapon out, only to be bombarded by more of the enemy.

Death…so much death. There was nothing she could do but keep fighting.

She remembered having to kill people simply because she had to silence them. It made her sick, but she did it, no matter how much she didn't want to, she had to be death itself in order to take down Naraku.

Her hands grabbed at her hair tightly, urging for her mind to stop torturing her. Curling into a ball she wondered what would happen if she died.

She never truly had given it a thought. She fought so hard to stay _alive_ that she didn't even think of what would happen when she actually _died._ Questions on religion and the afterlife and God or Gods entered her jumbled head.

Would she be forgiven? So many had died not only by her hands, but because of her. Would she be forgiven for causing such destruction?

Did she even _deserve_ to be forgiven?

She didn't know, and she probably won't until she faces that moment of confrontation itself.

But she wasn't afraid to die. Maybe it was because of the horror she had seen, or the chance of dying every day, but in her heart, she wasn't afraid to die.

That was probably why Sesshomaru decided to train her. Their groups had teamed up and they had been traveling together for a while. It was about 2 in the morning and she couldn't sleep so she had left their campsite to clear her head.

It was then she came across Sesshomaru who was also awake. She remembered that conversation so clearly…she could feel his deep baritone voice as he spoke to her. They spoke for hours, until the sun rose, each answering the other's questions that they harbored since they first met. The topic of her fearing him had come up.

She remembered how he looked at her with a faraway gaze as she spoke honestly of her lack of fear for death. He had listened, and when she finished he only told her that if she wished it, he would train her.

That was probably the moment where they went from allies to friends.

He took her to Totosai where he had a sword made for her. It was a beautiful and deadly piece that she learned to use with a perfection that came close to matching his. When she mastered that skill, he helped her form the sword she has now. The sword of her soul. It was rare for people to be able to accomplish such a thing, Sesshomaru even told her he himself had failed, but he believed she could do it.

It took long…so long. She wanted to keep giving up, but he kept her determination going. If Sesshomaru Taisho, Ruler of the Western Lands believed she could do something, then she was damned if she didn't.

Finally, she had her sword. She could still see the look of pride enter Sesshomaru's eyes. She was his student, and there was nothing like the feeling of making her sensei proud to have her.

Kagome shook her head, getting rid of the memories as she sat up in her bed. She walked across the room and looked at herself in the mirror, taking in her appearance. She looked different.

She still had her youthful skin; there were no wrinkles or dark circles under her eyes. Her hair wasn't a mess and her lips were still plump and pink. So what was it?

Then she caught her own gaze.

Her brown eyes seem deeper than before, giving her an aged, wizened look. It was the look of a girl who had seen too much, and if you look close, you could see the despair, the destruction, the broken girl that's left.

She turned away quickly, not standing to even look at herself.

'_I've done enough. If there's a war going on, it'll have to be fought without me.'_

She closed her eyes and brought her hand to her heart where the Shikon no Tama resided.

'_I won't let this ever get away again. I won't be the reason why people die.'_

'_No. Never again.'_

-o-o-o-

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and another thank you to those I can't reply to: ShootToKillShinso, Kairi, xoulblade, FreakTart, and No Name :)

Oh, and animeluv12, thanks for the review! I tried to reply but FFnet won't let me, I'm glad you like it so far though :D

Until next time, ja ne!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: -_-

"talking"

'_thinking'_

**Chapter IV: Recognition**

-o-o-o-

He held his finger out allowing the crow to grab hold.

Harbingers of death, messengers of doom, and voids of bad luck: there are so many names for them and so many interpretations of what they are. All people ever saw were their evil, they didn't appreciate the beauty of such creatures. Crows are intelligent birds; obedient to masters they have pledged their life to.

They are his favorite as he is to them. He watched as the black bird cocked his head, taking him in. After a moment it moved its head slightly up and down, as though nodding its approval at his new commander.

Aizen smiled and stroke the feathers of his new pet. He could see it in the bird's eyes; it will be loyal until death.

"What's your name?" he asked it.

The crow fluttered its wings and answered with a caw.

"Kaningu? Yes that is very suiting,"

Suddenly the bird screeched, alerting its master to the new arrival.

Aizen turned around to see it was no other than his most trusted partner: Ichimaru Gin.

Inwardly Aizen frowned, he had not sensed or heard the man enter his room. There was no indication that he had even returned to the premises.

'_I suppose that's why I like the bastard…he's useful with his ability to stay unnoticed.'_

Pushing back the thought he let out a smile and greeted the former Captain of Squad 3 who had his usual oddly polite sneer gracing his face.

"Anything new to report Gin?" asked Aizen.

He had send Ichimaru to the Human World to keep an eye on Kurosaki and his friends. Right now they were the biggest threat, considering the Soul Society considered them huge assets in the war.

"Nah, nothin' new Aizen-sama," replied the fox-like man.

"Really? Nothing at all?"

Gin loosely crossed his arms across his chest and leaned back against the wall. A smirk played across his lips as he said, "Well, if ya really wanna know, they ran into a girl who killed a Hollow."

"And?"

"She isn't a shinigami."

That caught his attention.

"Another one of Kurosaki's friends with high spiritual pressure?"

Ichimaru shook his head, his creased eyes hidden by the strands of hair that fell over them.

"Actually Aizen-sama, she's a weird one,"

"How so Gin?"

"She has no spiritual pressure at all. I couldn't sense a thing from her, not even the teeniest aura. Don't ya think it's weird?"

"No aura you say? That's strange indeed," Aizen turned away from the man and looked out the window, pondering the unusual finding. There is no possibility for Gin to be mistaken; whatever he does he excels at.

A caw from the crow still latched on his finger brought his attention away from his thoughts.

He let out a dark smile as he listened to the crow croaked a few more times. Yes, its name suited it very well. Aizen gave a nod of approval to the bird and opened the window allowing it to soar to the desired destination.

The dark haired man turned again to address Ichimaru.

"Good job Gin, keep an eye on them…and see if they continue to involve themselves with the girl. If they find her important then perhaps we can use her somehow."

Gin cocked his head to the right, as though he were curious. "Sure thing Aizen-sama, I don't mind, she's an interestin' one."

Aizen chuckled. "Well then, if we have no use for her, you can have her."

Gin gave a gasp of mock-surprise, "Aww, a new toy? Ya shouldn't have Aizen-sama, I'm touched,"

At this Aizen let out a laugh. It was moments like these where he fully appreciated having the silver-haired man at his side. Sometimes he wondered if Ichimaru was even more twisted than he.

"Go on Gin," he said, dismissing his former fukutaichou.

"Later, Aizen-taichou!" said Gin cheerfully, sending his ex-captain a wave as he walked into the darkness.

Once he was out of sight of the other man, the smirk on his face widened, the shadows elongating his features sinisterly.

'_Hmm, a new toy? Yer a pretty li'l thing, I hope ya don't break too fast. That's never as much fun.'_

-o-o-o-

Urahara paced the length of his room.

Something about seeing the girl bothered him. Not bothered as in he doesn't like her, but bothered as in he was he was missing something. He was completely overlooking an important fact.

But what?

He had only met her recently but he knew that she was significant. His gut was never wrong.

He stopped pacing and looked intently at the wall as though it could give him all the unknown answers. An image of her face appeared in his mind.

She was still so young, but the look in her eyes was unmistakable. There was so much anguish in them; they burned with hundreds of emotions. When he saw her, the first thing he wanted to do was soothe away her troubles and tell her that he'll take care of everything. It was surprising, the fatherly instinct that came over him. He felt as though she were his daughter, wanting to convince her everything will be okay.

Urahara sighed. She didn't want to get involved, but a part of him knew that it was inevitable.

At least she can defend herself. It still rattled him when he thought of how she took down the Hollow with ease. Kagome was graceful and lithe, spending little time to get down to the gist of things. There was a reason why Renji, Ichigo, and Rukia went together to take care of the Hollow. Its presence was so big; they knew it would be powerful.

Although Renji is a lieutenant, it was likely that he would need help in order to defeat it. He himself had merely tagged along. But when they got there Kagome was already taking care of it. She did the job of three soul reapers.

It was nerve-racking.

Even if she had no aura or reiryoku, just by skill alone he could place her at lieutenant level.

'_Her sensei must have been a hell of a guy.'_

He gave his head a shake. It wasn't just the fact she was clearly proficient, it was just the sight of her. She looked familiar, but not really. It was as if he brushed her in passing by at a crowded mall. But that obviously was not the case. No, she had to be new in town. He knew she had never been in Karakura until recently.

The puzzled man scratched his head.

'_Why do I get the feeling that somehow my recognition of her is connected to the Soul Society?'_

Urahara racked his brain but then gave up.

"I know, I'll make a list of things I either know or can assume about her," he mumbled to himself.

Quickly taking out a pen and paper, he began to write.

**Her name is Kagome.**

**Age is between seventeen to nineteen.**

**Skilled in combat.**

'_Her eyes tell of grief…maybe she was in battle?'_

He wrote war down.

Suddenly a knock interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in," he called.

Tessai opened the screen door and walked in.

"I've found some information about Kagome store owner," he said in that gruff voice of his.

Urahara grinned, "I knew you could Tessai! Let's hear it then,"

"She moved here from Tokyo. Her former residence was at a shrine. She currently lives with her mother, grandfather, and brother. She is nineteen years old." Listed Tessai.

Urahara nodded his head eagerly, "Wonderful! Thank you Tessai!"

"It was no trouble," he replied and walked toward the door. Right before he closed it Tessai stuck his head back in,

"Oh, I almost forgot. Her last name is Higurashi," he said, and then left.

Urahara froze.

'_Higurashi? Kagome Higurashi? She lived in a shrine? Might have been in a war?'_

Kisuke felt his mind run into overdrive, his thoughts racing as he struggled to piece the facts together. It was at the tip of his tongue. Damn it! He's so close; he knew that he almost has it.

'_There's a reason why I thought she seemed familiar. There's a reason why something clicked when Tessai rattled off what he found on her.'_

An idea popped into his head.

Striving quickly to the other side of the room, he opened a search window on his computer which was connected to the Soul Society database.

Typing in all the facts, he watched as information poured onto the screen.

He found it.

Now he knew why she struck a chord in him. She had been used in his research to develop the Hogyoku.

Kagome Higurashi is the Shikon no Miko.

-o-o-o-

**Author's Note**

And everything just went to hell lol.

Firstly, to start off, thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Now, there have been a lot of questions, and I'll do my best to answer the ones I can without giving away my whole storyline :)

**1) Will Kagome meet up with Kurosaki and co. again?**

Yes, in fact, you'll be seeing them in the next chapter.

**2) What are the pairings?**

At this moment I don't have any definite couples besides Kagome and Gin, especially because they are the main focus in this fic, so just give me a heads up on what you think.

**3) What timing is this in the anime?**

Take Me is going to be a mixture of events. I think majority of it might consist of the beginning of the series. However, I'll be incorporating some things that happen later on. That means there isn't a specific pinpointed time. I also feel it makes it easier to make all the characters slightly older because it flows better with the story.

Oh, and to those who might be interested, Kaningu means cunning.

Btw: Gin has arrived! It isn't much of him, but it gets the ball rolling.

Review Please.

Ja ne


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I OWN THEM! I OWN THEM! I OWN-*lawyer pokes with stick* ….never mind.

"talking"

'_thinking'_

**Chapter V: Introductions**

-o-o-o-

'_I need some air; I can't take it here anymore.'_

Quickly changing into her running outfit and grabbing her iPod Kagome dashed out of the house.

Plugging in the headphones she started jogging slowly, steadily increasing her pace into a run.

'_I'm such a fool. I should have known that moving wouldn't help anything,'_ she thought bitterly.

'_A new house, new furniture, new people…same screwed up Kagome.'_

Anger pumped through her veins, fueling her energy and making her run harder. In a way it was kind of soothing to run. Her music drowned out the sound of her surroundings, and the burning of her muscles gave her a sense of actually doing something.

Just a half hour ago her old high school friends had stopped by for a surprise visit. They spent the time split between gushing over how much fun college life is and giving her mournful looks. They all thought she hadn't gone on to university because she couldn't get in, and that being "sick" all these years had taken some type of toll on her. They were wrong.

Either way…

'_I don't need their damn pity.'_

She could feel it, their sympathetic looks were almost tangible.

'_Poor little Kagome, not doing anything with her life. It's such a shame, she's such a sweet girl,'_

Kagome sneered as she imagined what was going through their minds.

She hated how everyone just assumed things about her. No one understood what she went through…the things she had to do.

Maybe she really is messed up in the head. Maybe she became some kind of twisted freak. Maybe she did change, but no one could even guess how much.

It hurts.

It hurts so much and she hates it.

She thought maybe two years would have at least lessen the pain a bit, but she was wrong.

'_Go figure, I'm always wrong.'_

Sometimes the pain was unbearable to the point where she couldn't breathe. She'd wake up screaming from nightmares…except that's when she'd realize they weren't bad dreams. They were real memories, haunting her in her sleep.

She breathed heavily; it's been a while since she ran so much. Slowing down, she took the time to observe where she was.

Karakura Park.

Well, she certainly outdid herself.

All at once she became aware of how tired she was. Stumbling over to a large tree, she leaned her back against it and slowly dropped herself down to the grassy ground. Closing her eyes she took deep breathes, trying to stop her heart from pounding and her hands from shaking.

It seems like they've been doing that a lot lately. She couldn't control the constant trembling of her body.

'Maybe it's some type of reaction from trauma,' she guessed.

At the thought of it she flinched.

Trauma indeed.

'_I guess it would be normal to assume killing one of your best friends could be considered traumatic.'_

Her mood took a dark turn and she squeezed her closed eyes even tighter.

'_Don't this again Kagome. Stop thinking about it. Just stop,' _she chanted in her mind.

Opening her eyes she let out a sigh and shook her head.

It's not as if she could undo any of it now. The only thing she could do is keep moving forward.

'_Goodness, I really hope I'm not becoming depressed. Mama really shouldn't have to deal with something like that, especially after everything I've put her through.'_

Turning off her iPod Kagome sat quietly for a few moments, taking in the distant sounds of kids laughing.

Suddenly a shadow fell across her. Blinking rapidly Kagome looked up startled.

There before her were no other than the odd slayer people she had met before and three others, minus the man in the striped bucket hat.

"Uh…hi?" she said confusedly.

"Hey, sorry, we saw you sitting here and thought we'd come be and say hi," replied one of the boys.

Taking in the red hair and tattoos, she ventured a guess.

"Oh, you're…Renji?" she asked.

Renji cracked a grin at her. "That's right, I'm surprised you remembered. Yeah, and Ichigo and Rukia are here too."

She gave a small smile and nod to the two mentioned.

Her eyes fell on the remaining three people, wondering who they are.

As though reading her mind, Renji introduced them.

"My bad, that's Chad," he said pointing at the large dark-skinned boy. "This is Uryu," cocking a head at the stern-looking boy with glasses. "And this is Orihime," he told her, gesturing to the girl with very large assets.

Kagome gave a nod to them each as they were mentioned.

"Hello, I'm Kagome,"

Orihime beamed at her, "O ai dekite ureshii Kagome-chan!"

The girl's chirpy voice took her unexpectedly. She couldn't help it, she chuckled. Deciding she should be polite, she invited them to sit with her.

Accepting, they all sat down and started chatting normally as though they hadn't just met her,

Occasionally they'd ask her questions; was she new, where did she move from, how old she is. Mostly Kagome stayed out of the conversations, preferring to just observe at how at ease the group was around her.

To say she was surprised would be an understatement. Kagome was beyond bewildered, but somehow it felt right.

Renji and Rukia were bickering about something, and Orihime was avidly describing some odd concoction she had made while Chad and Uryu politely tried not to look disgusted.

However, there was one person who didn't really say anything.

She let her eyes fall on the silent boy who sat on her left, only to find him looking back at her.

They stayed like that for a while, just watching the other.

She wondered if she should say something when he spoke:

"Why did you leave?"

His voice was soft, genuinely curious. Kagome automatically knew what he was talking about.

Slowly she let her gaze drift to the others. They continued to talk, not paying the slightest bit of attention.

Looking back at Ichigo, she saw he was waiting patiently for her to answer.

Her respect for him went up a notch as she realized that he was purposely keeping the conversation between the two of them.

"Because I didn't want to stay," she replied finally.

Ichigo took in what she said, seeming to think about it deeply.

"Well I guess I can get that."

His easy acceptance put her off. She expected more questions but instead he just let it go. Up another notch.

Suddenly he said, "Everyone seems to like you, even Ishida. I have to congratulate you if you could get on his good side without even saying a word."

Kagome snorted. "So I'm guessing he usually has a stick up his ass?"

Ichigo raised a brow at her and then smirked, "The biggest one in Japan."

She laughed.

"So how come you guys aren't in school or college or whatever?"

"It's kind of complicated. We decided we'd put it off for a bit. How about you?"

"The same." She said.

Running a hand through his hair he turned to look at her seriously. "I should probably warn you, being friends with us could be…hard. Especially if you don't want to mixed up in anything. They'll be times we can't explain. We're…weird."

She let what he said sink in and scrutinized it carefully. He was giving her a chance a chance to back away from them, but also extending a hand in friendship. But he was right. They were in some odd stuff and she just wants an average boring life.

'_But…they seem like good people. Maybe I should give them a chance.'_

Looking him dead in the eyes, she replied,

"I'm use to weird."

A grin grew on Ichigo's face.

Kagome felt her heart stop.

'_He looks so much like Inuyasha, the way his entire face changes when he's smiling.'_

Kagome shook her head and smiled back.

'_Maybe they're exactly what I need.'_

-o-o-o-

Misora watched as her daughter put away the dishes. All through dinner Kagome had a small, barely noticeable grin on her face. Her heart lightened as the possibility that Kagome might be coming out of her shell.

"Dear, you're practically glowing, what happened?" she asked.

"I made some friends today mama."

Misora looked at Kagome warmly.

"That's wonderful! Who are they?"

Kagome's eyes brightened. "Well there's a boy Yasutora, but everyone calls him Chad. He's mostly quiet but really nice. And there's Uryu, he seems kind of reserved but I think she likes Orihime. She's really sweet and bubbly, but I think she eats too much sugar because she's so cheerful, and she always seems to be making gross food. Then there's Rukia and Renji. They pick on each other nonstop but I think they secretly care for each other. I'm not too sure Rukia likes me much, but she's been pretty decent today."

Misora clapped her hands happily, "Oh my! That's certainly a lot of people,"

Kagome nodded. "There's one more, a boy…" she trailed off.

Misora's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Really? A boy? A _cute_ boy?" she asked teasingly.

"Mama!" laughed Kagome.

"I'm just wondering dear," Misora said giggling.

"Uhm, well, he's…different," she said.

"What kind of different?"

"A good kind, I think."

Misora nodded approvingly.

"I'm happy Kagome," she told her, stepping closer and wrapping her arms around her daughter.

Kagome felt herself melt in her mother's embrace. She always made everything better.

Suddenly Misora pulled out of the hug, holding Kagome at arm's length.

"Wait a moment, you haven't told me the name of this boy who's so _different_."

Kagome blushed.

"Oops, sorry. His name is Ichigo."

"Ichigo? Hmm…he _sounds_ cute," Misora grinned evilly.

"MAMA!"

-o-o-o-

Hope you all like this chapter. From this point on things are going to speed up a bit, and the plot will get deeper.

Review please; it's rather sad when you don't. :)


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Nope, no ownage

"talking"

'_thinking'_

**Chapter VI: Stranger**

-o-o-o-

She watched from her place on the sidewalk as they took down the Hollows one by one. It is obvious that they work well as a team, each reading the other's movements and making sure they have their bases covered. They've got experience too. The fluidness of their assaults shows that they've have practice.

As she analyzed their fighting styles, she made mental notes on their strong points and weaknesses. They were good, but there is a lot they could improve on. For example, while Orihime is capable of offense, her hesitation leaves her with too many vulnerable points. Chad's attacks, though powerful in short range, need to be manipulated from long distances. Don't even get her started on Ichigo's blaring spiritual pressure. It's such a waste to let it leak like that; keeping it in tight control would have allowed him an extra boost of energy had he been exhausted in battle.

Over the past few days while they hung out it had become a regular custom for the group to leave to fight Hollows, and when they'd return they would all continue as though nothing had occurred.

She didn't want to know everything about who and what they are, but she did learn that Ichigo, Rukia, and Renji are people called soul reapers. Apparently Uryu is a "Quincy", and the other two have weird powers.

At her request they didn't go into detail, but she had gained enough information to keep her mind from questioning constantly.

There have been a lot of Hollows popping up today, which is odd because she knew that at most there were only a few per day.

A roar brought Kagome's attention back to the fight. Narrowing her eyes, she observed at how much time is was taking and clucked her tongue disapprovingly.

'_Hnn, such unnecessary messiness. Openings must be spotted quickly, and attacks executed with precision.'_

The moment that thought finished Kagome's eyes widened as she let out a giggle.

'_Wow, I guess the ice prince really did rub off on me. I pretty much did a perfect imitation of him.'_

Her mind wondered again to the demon lord. There was so much more to him than anyone had ever realized. He wasn't a cold monster at all, merely reserved and calculating. She always had respect for him but it grew infinitely when he became her teacher.

He didn't mind her calling him by his first name, which she had done since she met him, but she added the suffix to show him that she did indeed respect him. A part of her mind told her though that because she had done that on her own accord, his own opinion of her grew.

When he first joined their group back in the Feudal Era, Inuyasha of course wasn't happy. But he set aside his complaints because he knew it was for the best.

She smiled inwardly as she remembered that inu hanyou. He was stubborn, foul-mouthed, and brash, but he was also intelligent, kind, and noble. His rough exterior was just that-an outside skin. Inside he was a complex being with more depth than anyone could guess.

Inuyasha didn't protest when she told him the demon lord would be training her. Instead, he merely turned to face his brother and said,

"'Good. But if you hurt her for real I'm gonna cut off all your fuckin' pretty little hair and set it on fire. Got it yah bastard?'"

Sesshomaru only looked at him in distain; his nose pointed haughtily in the air and nodded his head curtly.

A fight was what she was expecting, but she couldn't say she wasn't grateful when there wasn't one.

Kagome isn't a fool. She knew how much of a privilege it was that a demon lord would choose to train a human, even if she is the Shikon Miko.

She made sure that she worked hard to excel in whatever she was taught. He pushed her to her limit, forcing herself to give everything she was capable of. When she finally mastered her training, they would fight.

Not spar, but actual fighting where defeat meant death.

Of course she couldn't beat him, but she never loss either, and that was a feat in itself.

Looking back at the current battle, she remembered a question Ichigo and the others asked her. Why couldn't they sense anything from her?

Kagome scoffed. She was trained by perhaps the strongest demon in the world, suppressing her aura was at a mediocre level; it was one of the first things she learned.

She clearly didn't tell them that, but still, how could they not do it? Then again, she was taught by a powerful teacher.

'_Wow, I sound so arrogant. I really spent way too much time with Sesshomaru.'_

Her thoughts were broken as the group returned. They seem a little tired, but other than that they didn't seem to have any injuries.

"Sorry for taking so long Kagome-chan," said Orihime with a bright smile.

Kagome smiled back, "it's fine, I wasn't bored,"

"You guy wanna go grab something to eat?" asked Renji.

They all nodded, feeling famished.

As they walked along the street Kagome felt a light bulb appear above her head. "Wait, why don't you all come over to my house for lunch? Mama's wanted to meet you all, and this is a perfect chance."

Each person nodded in agreement, and together they turned to walk toward her home.

Suddenly Kagome stopped in her tracks.

Seeing that she wasn't with them, Chad looked back and asked what the matter is.

Kagome shook her head slowly, "Don't move," she whispered.

They all paused at once. They had learned in the beginning of their outing that whatever Kagome commanded should be taken seriously. She always seemed to sense things before any of them could, and the way the blood drained out of her face right now told them that she felt something bad.

She could feel it in deep in her soul, there was something watching them, and it wasn't a friend, that's for sure. Her gut knew that whoever it was wasn't just someone they could confront.

The feeling it gave her was twisted, it isn't…evil, but it gave her chills.

Quickly she tried to pinpoint its location.

'_Got you.'_

She turned toward a dark alley on her far right.

"Kagome, what is it?" asked Chad.

"Someone is in the alley," she told them quietly, never taking her eyes off the dark passage.

The unknown person's aura was being hidden…but not really. It seemed to reach out and stroke her non-existent one, as though toying with her. Her body shivered at the light caresses.

She felt someone step beside her. In the corner of her eye she saw it was Uryu, he had his bow drawn and an arrow ready to fire.

"Should I shoot?"

She felt a small shift in the alley, and then all at once the spiritual pressure was gone.

"No, it left." She negated, looking at the now empty passage strangely.

Uryu put away his bow as everyone shot her puzzled looks.

"Do you know what it was?" asked Ichigo.

Kagome shook her head uneasily.

They were quiet for a minute, trying to figure out what could bother her so much.

"Well, it's not there anymore. Let's go." Kagome said firmly and then once again began walking to where her mother and delicious food lay awaiting.

-o-o-o-

"You're friends are nice sweetheart," Kagome's mother said to her.

They had stayed all through lunch and dinner, just hanging out at the house.

Kagome smiled. "I'm glad you like them, I think they're really starting to grow on me."

Misora nodded happily. "Good, I think they're exactly what you need."

"That's what I thought too," Kagome replied with a grin.

"It's almost midnight dear; you should go get some sleep."

"'Kay mama,"

Saying a quick goodnight, Kagome bounded into her room.

Once she shut the door she slowly walked over to her window, gazing out at the crescent moon.

'_I wish I could see the stars like in the past, they're so beautiful.'_

She placed a palm against the glass and sighed. Of course she was happy she made friends, but a part of her wondered if she should have just backed away.

'_Today in that alley…I've never felt anything like it before. That presence was so odd.'_

It made her edgy, uneasy. She couldn't help but think that if she continued on this road, she was going to be dragged in, even if she protested kicking and screaming.

Still, the thought of the mysterious person couldn't be shaken from her mind.

The way its aura wrapped around her, it was as if it were teasing her. But it wasn't a soothing type of playfulness. No, instead it caused the hair on the back of her neck to stick up in alarm.

She trusted her instincts deeply, and they told her that if she ever felt that person again, she needed to run.

'_Gotta love how I come across all the weirdoes in Japan. It's as if I'm some type of walking magnet,' _she snorted.

Kagome looked around the room, he eyes stopping on the digital clock just as it struck midnight.

'_Mama's right, I need rest.'_

Crawling into bed Kagome fell asleep in minutes, dreaming of blank faced strangers and grinning foxes.

-o-o-o-

Dear all, have I told recently that I love you? No? Well I do :D

Thanks for all the reviews and comments, I'm so glad that this fic is liked.

Oh, and to everyone who loves crossover stories involving Kagome, there's a website call Flawless Addiction where you can nominate and vote for crossovers that you like. It's a pretty great site, so join up! Nominations are coming up tomorrow so go tell the world about the many great fics out there :)


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Oh, how I tire of repetition

"talking"

'_thinking'_

**Chapter VII: Exposed**

-o-o-o-

He stood on the rooftop overlooking the sleeping town, thinking about the day's events.

He hadn't expected her to sense him. That was definitely anticipated.

No one can ever tell when he's nearby unless her wants them to sense him, he's the master of stealth. In fact, back in Gotei 13 he could slip into Squad Two's grounds without being detected.

But she caught him.

Gin grinned as he thought about the unusual woman.

'_I was right. Yer not a regular human, are ya Kagome-chan?'_

In a way it was thrilling, she presented a challenge; a puzzle to figure out.

'_And I love puzzles.'_

The wind gently blew his hair back and forth, the silver-purple locks half covering his creased eyes.

'_I kinda hope yer not needed in the war Kagome-chan. I'd hate ta give ya up to Aizen-sama, especially when I called dibs.'_

He tilted his head up toward the moon, allowing it to shine on his face.

Aizen was his captain back in Squad Five, and he still considers the man as his leader. When Soul Society learned of their betrayal, it shook them to their core.

He can still see the hurt in Rangiku's eyes, and he felt sorry for doing this to her. She's been his best friend since that day he found her laying on the ground, but this is beyond that.

Gin made a promise to himself though; he would make sure she doesn't get caught in the crossfire. It's the least he could do.

His thoughts wandered back to the black haired female that caught everyone's interest.

He smirked.

'_I wonder who ya are Kagome-chan. I wanna know,'_

And what Gin Ichimaru wants, Gin Ichimaru gets.

-o-o-o-

**Next Day**

-o-o-o-

"Please, come in."

Urahara ushered her into the store, leading her into the back room where they could talk in private.

Kagome didn't know why she was there again; all she knew was that the man had called her asking for her time on an important matter.

He gestured toward the desk and chairs, telling her to sit down.

She took a seat, watching him curiously as he sat across from her.

He didn't say anything for a while; mostly he looked as though he didn't know where to begin.

Finally he broke the tension.

"I know you want to know why I asked you to come here, but first I need your word that you will listen to everything I say before you storm out."

Kagome narrowed her eyes at the man suspiciously. Obviously they were about to breach a subject she didn't want to cross.

"Is this necessary?" she asked.

Kisuke sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"I wish it wasn't." he mumbled.

After another silent moment he looked at her.

"I know who you are," he said quietly.

All of the air in the room seems to stand still.

"What do you mean?" she ventured cautiously.

"I mean that you, Kagome Higurashi, are the legendary Shikon no Miko."

In a flash he was out of his seat, pressed against the wall with a knife at his throat.

Kagome used one hand to pin Urahara down and the other to swap her small knife for her sword at lightning speed.

He didn't struggle against her tight hold, but he wiggled slightly as the blade pushed deeper into his throat. A trickle of warm blood slid down passed his collarbone. He voice brought his eyes to meet hers.

Her brown eyes were hard and glinting, her brows furrowed and mouth twisted in a snarl.

'_Well, this could have gone better,'_ he thought.

"Who are you?" growled Kagome.

No one in this time should know who she is. Even if she is in books and museums, no one should be able to pinpoint her of all people as the girl from the past. This could only mean one thing…he has a connection to her.

She watched as he squirmed, but he didn't fight her.

"Listen to me," he rasped, "I'm not your enemy. Just hear me out, you need to."

She sifted through his words and looked at him intently, trying to find any hint of deceit.

Not finding any she let him go and took one step back, but not lowering her weapon.

"You will speak. You will explain. Do you understand?" she told him coldly.

He nodded and straightened his lopsided hat.

"Hai. But you must understand something as well first," he said, his voice still slightly hoarse.

"What?" she bit out.

"From this point on you will no longer remain ignorant. There's no going back now."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Urahara regained his composure, his tone losing all softness.

"You've become too entangled with our affairs. By coming here, especially being who you are, you can't just walk away. It can't be helped Higurashi, you've gotten involved, whether you like it or not."

His words didn't register at first, but slowly they began to sink in. He watched as her faced gradually changed from anger, to confusion, to shock, and then to horror.

Her breath caught in her throat. She knew what he meant.

Kagome backed away rapidly, shaking her head. Disbelief and panic ran through her veins, filling every pore of her body with a stinging iciness.

'_Please, Kami, not again.'_

She could feel the shaking coming back, but this time she couldn't will it to stop.

'_No. I won't. I can't.'_

She saw Urahara step closer, concern etched on his face as reached toward her.

"Higurashi, are you okay?"

His voice seemed far away, dark spots flashed in front of her eyes as the room began to spin. The last thing she saw was Urahara leaping forward to catch her limp body.

-o-o-o-

The room was eerily quiet; the only thing heard was the constant _tick-tock _of the clock on the wall.

The silent girl sat on the floor, her knees drawn tightly to her chest.

When she came back to consciousness, Urahara had given her some calming tea and began to explain. She didn't want to hear it, but she didn't have a choice. It took four hours and twenty-seven minutes of endurance.

He told her what she needed to hear, from the minor background details to the major frontline ones.

Maybe she should have been shocked, or at least freaked out, but at this point all she felt was numbness.

It wasn't just the fact that she was friends with Ichigo's group, or the fact she had fought a Hollow. No, when it came down to the bottom of things there was only one reason; the same reason that made her life a mess in the first place:

The Shikon no Tama.

Having it in her possession especially in a place like Karakura Town is dangerous, not only to herself and the shinigami, but to her family as well.

This is the central point of the war now and if the enemy found out who she is…they would stop at nothing to use her. All hell would break loose.

Urahara told her that by now knowing this didn't mean he expected her to start fighting with them. He told her so she would be aware. So she'd be safe.

Kagome couldn't really say anything throughout the entire explanation, he throat had closed up and her tongue felt like lead. Finally she managed to ask one question.

"Does anyone else know?"

Kisuke shook his head.

"No. I'm the only one, and it'll stay that way unless you decide to tell the others or unless it's necessary."

She gave a tiny nod and shakily rose to her feet.

"I should be going now," she said.

Urahara nodded, watching her closely. Her voice had become devoid of any emotion. He glanced at her eyes and hid a flinch.

The were and empty dark brown.

There wasn't anything else he could do but watch as she moved jerkily out of the shop.

Urahara took of his hat and sighed. She looked like a corpse, and he couldn't help but feel like her assassinator.

-o-o-o-

The world seems so flat. She didn't really pay any attention as she walked.

Every part of her body had a stiff plastic-like feel.

There was a buzzing in her ear that wouldn't go away.

'_Why?'_

It was the only thing she could ask herself. Why did this have to happen to her? Why did she fall down the well? Why did the break the tama? Why did she have to be the one to kill Naraku? Why did she kill that Hollow? Why did she come here today?

'_Why am I still alive?'_

Her heart hurt. So much pain. There's nothing but pain anymore.

She looked up, not realizing she had already arrived in front of her house.

Stepping in front of the door she wondered how she was supposed to tell her mom. For four years she'd put her mother through nonstop worry. They thought it was all over when she came back. How could she just randomly tell her that once again her life could be on the line?

Digging the key out of her pocket, she opened the door with erratic movements and slipped inside.

"Kagome, is that you? It's so late, I didn't even know where you were and you left your phone on your bed," Misora called as she came down the hallway.

"Kagome?"

Misora stopped with a jerk as she caught sight of her daughter.

"Oh goodness, dear what's wrong? You're so pale, and you're shaking! Kagome, what happened?" she asked frantically.

Kagome looked at her, her throat clenching.

"Mama," she croaked.

She couldn't support herself anymore, she leaned her body against the closed door as she slid to the floor.

"Mama, please…please don't hate me," she whispered.

-o-o-o-

**Author's Note**

Greetings from overseas! Firstly, sorry I haven't updated in so long, but I have a valid reason! I'm currently on vacation, but I decided to volunteer some of my time in Japan and help with disaster relief. I'm swamped in so much stuff (and a lot of it includes paperwork and rubble) lol.

Here's the next chapter, I'll try to update the next time I get a break. Don't throw anything at me; the long gap in update is for a good cause! :)

Review please, they make me happy

ja ne!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or Inuyasha….sadly.

"talking"

'_thinking'_

**Chapter VIII: Thoughts**

-o-o-o-

She has never seen the man so agitated before. His constant playful and sarcastic manner was his main state of being, but the past two weeks his demeanor was serious and withdrawn.

Yoruichi watched as Kisuke Urahara stared as the clouds pensively, lost in thoughts shielded from her. Never had he kept anything from her before and for him to do so now made her wonder what could possibly bother him so much.

"Oi Kisuke, you gonna tell me what's getting you so depressed any time soon?"

He turned to look at her, a small frown on his face. His voice had an odd lilt to it when he spoke.

"You know I would if I could."

She raised an eyebrow at that and snorted. "Don't tell me you made some type of promise to keep it to yourself."

At his silence she sighed.

'_Always so loyal to promises, aren't you Kisuke?'_

Out loud she declared, "Well if you can't _tell_ me, then I guess I'm just going to have to _find out_ so you can talk about it."

Urahara turned away from his place at the window and watched as the woman scrutinizing his room with analyzing eyes. He said nothing and averted his gaze as she looked from his computer to him with a raised eyebrow.

In only a few steps Yoruichi crossed the floor and had the machine up and running, clicking open the recent history tab.

Scanning the information on the screen quickly she turned to look at him.

The silence permeated the air with its unspoken questions, accusations, and shock.

Breaking the quiet she asked, "Why now?"

Urahara shrugged. "I don't know. She turned up out of nowhere."

"Does she know?"

"I told her myself."

Yoruichi said nothing.

'_This is so unlike you Kisuke, you never interfere directly,'_

"I think I made a mistake," confessed the man in green quietly. "I thought telling her would protect her, but I might have just caused more damage."

In a flash Yoruichi was next to him.

"No."

"Eh?"

"No," she repeated. "She needs to know. The last thing we need is for her to walk around oblivious. I can only imagine what could happen if Aizen gets his claws on her."

Urahara turned away from her again, his voice stressed, "You didn't see how she reacted. She passed out for crying out loud!"

"It's a shock for her. I don't know how she survived five hundred years but I'm pretty sure she didn't see this coming."

"Exactly!" he snarled. His grip on his cane tightened until his bones showed starkly against his skin. "She shouldn't have even known about us! I'm the one who had to open my big mouth and tell her about Soul Society, about Aizen, about the Hogyoku!"

Yoruichi had enough; letting out a growl she slapped Urahara on the back of his head. "Shut it! For crying out loud, do you hear yourself? This doesn't even make sense! So it's your fault the girl came to Karakura Town? Was born with the Shikon no Tama? Is the most desirable weapon that could turn up in a war? Just stop your idiotic self-loathing and think!"

Urahara was startled into silence. Then, after letting the cat woman's words sink in, he chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"When you put it that way, I suppose you have a point."

The woman turned up her nose and snorted. "Of course I do. Now that you're not being stupid, what are we going to do about her?"

"I'm not too sure. It's pretty obvious she doesn't want to fight or have any part of the war at all," he frowned.

Yoruichi thought deeply but after a moment she rolled her eyes.

"I got nothin'."

"Me neither."

The shape shifting female scoffed and tossed back her ponytail. "In that case I guess the only thing we can do is keep watch and protect the girl."

Urahara nodded his head in agreement.

"If we're done here I have to get going. I haven't had enough 'Annoy Byakuya' time and wanna make up for it." She told him with an evil grin.

Laughing, Urahara waved her goodbye. Right before she left though Yoruichi turned back with a smirk.

"Oh, by the way, you really should delete your browsing history. Honestly, some people might be surprised at how much hentai fanfiction you read."

Urahara felt his jaw drop and watched mortified as the woman disappeared with a hoot.

-o-o-o-

For the first time in a long time he had the house all to himself. Ichigo lay stretched on his bed, his arms folded behind his head and long legs crossed languidly. It's…nice. Having peaceful silence, a break from Hollow hunting and a no strategy meetings about the war has become rare, and he's definitely someone who could appreciate the little things.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly he let his mind wander onto random topics.

He needs to buy new shoes; the wall coat use a new layer of paint, his dad will never stop being a dork, and Kagome.

The image of her face filled his head as she strayed across his thoughts. She's been a gust of fresh air. Everything about her is different from anyone he's ever met. She easily got along with everyone so far, even with Rukia. Although they clashed a few times, by regular standards that's a pretty high achievement.

They've known her for over two weeks and she always had a comeback, a joke, or a good input. But with all that aside, Kagome had a quiet brave fierceness to her. Almost nothing escaped her observant gaze, be it insignificant or not.

He gave a relaxed yawn as he remembered her eyes. They seem to be of infinite depths. Sometimes they were like an endless pit of chocolate, but other times he couldn't get passed the first level. Her eyes were filled with ever-changing emotions, flipping too quickly for him to identify any.

But the way she'd look at him sometimes…every part of him felt like it was on fire when she'd let her eyes stay on him.

People have always told him that his amber eyes held an intense gaze, but they obviously never had Kagome focus on them before.

Ichigo ran a hand through his hair and looked up at the ceiling, his brows furrowed.

Speaking of Kagome, no one had seen her for four days. Renji said that she was probably sick, but his gut told him otherwise. Feeling uneasy he grabbed his phone from his pant pocket.

'_This is stupid. I'll just call and see what's up,'_

He flipped the device open and hit Kagome's number.

One ring...two rings…three rings…four rings…five rings… voicemail. He hung up.

'_Maybe I should try her house number.'_

One ring…two rings…three rin-

"Moshi-moshi,"

Ichigo almost dropped the phone in surprise. He wasn't actually expecting anyone to pick up. Quickly clearing his throat he spoke,

"Oh, uh, hi Mrs. Higurashi. Is Kagome there?"

There was a pause on the other end but then she replied.

"Kagome isn't feeling well, she can't talk right now. This is Ichigo right?"

"Yeah. Alright then, thanks anyway. Please tell her I say get well soon."

"Of course dear, I'll pass along the message."

"Thanks, bye."

He hung up after Kagome's mother said farewell and dropped his phone down on the mattress.

"That explains that. Who would have thought Renji could be right for once?" he said to himself.

Shaking his head he pushed the thought of Kagome away, and instead it was replaced with the thought of Aizen. That bastard…

Ichigo never thought he was capable of despising someone so much, but Aizen surpassed his limits. The ex-captain is sly, manipulative, evil, and not to mention a complete ego maniac. Aizen leaves a path of destruction wherever he goes. He is chaos in humanoid form.

'_What's it going to take? How much more do we have to lose before he's stopped? So many casualties have already happened. Who's going to bring this to an end?'_

Ichigo may slightly thick-headed at times, but he isn't as naïve as Urahara might think. As much as he wants to be the one who ends Aizen's reign, he knew he couldn't possibly do it alone. When the time comes, the battle would most likely take place in the Human World. Although, Urahara _did_ say something about making a safe spot.

Ichigo sat up and rubbed his forehead, trying to ward off the incoming headache. He was tired of thinking in general. All he knew was that the blond haired man is acting odd, especially whenever Kagome is mentioned, Aizen is definitely scheming something, and he desperately needs sleep.

Since sleep was out of the question because of his over active mind, Ichigo stood and pulled on his shoes.

He needs answers and the only place he'll get them is at Urahara's.

-o-o-o-

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Guess what? _Take Me_ was nominated for Best Angst on Flawless Addiction! Trust me, I DEFINITELY wasn't expecting that. To whoever nominated me, my deepest thanks and to all the readers, I less than 3 you ^_^ *GLOMP!*

On a second note, I'm sorry this chapter kinda sucks. I had to get this boring part out of the way though so I can get to the good stuff, so forgive me! Next chapter we'll get back to the angsty fun stuff :P

I'm back home so I'll be updating very soon. Voting takes place in less than two weeks and if you feel like it please vote for me :D I shall put the link in my profile to the website! Thanks to everyone again! ^O^


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: One day…THEY SHALL BE MINE! *laughs evilly*

"talking"

'_thinking'_

**Chapter IX: Remember**

-o-o-o-

She sat at her desk staring emptily at the wall.

For four days she holed herself up in here, leaving only to use the bathroom. When she came back from Urahara's she told her mother everything. Things didn't exactly go as she thought they would. Instead of banishing her from the family, Misora gathered Kagome in her arms and murmured her understanding.

"Oh sweetheart, how could you ever thing I'd hate you? You're my daughter and I'll love you no matter what happens. Maybe this _isn't_ fair, but I believe you're strong enough to handle it, not to mention you have your family by your side. Don't you dare think that just because we happen to waltz into a cross-dimensional war that I'd give up on you. Even if you weren't the Shikon Guardian I'd worry. Trust me, it's what mothers do."

Kagome rolled her eyes slightly at the wall. Her mother took all the weird news way too well, but she's thankful for it.

Initially, her reactions were of shock, despair, denial, and anger. But over the past days she was able to take it in and dissect all the information present to her.

Little by little her wild emotions lessoned until there was only a resentful acceptance left.

Sure it would be dangerous if this Aizen person found out about the tama, but Urahara said he's not expecting her to suddenly join the fighting. There's still a chance the war could end without her participation, but if not, at least she was warned ahead of time.

The random sound of her phone vibrating startled her. She looked across the room to where her cell resided on the side table, but made no move to pick it up. She's not ready to talk to anyone just yet.

The vibrating stopped. A second later the house phone began to ring. She heard her mother pick up and the muffled sounds of speaking floated beneath the door. Kagome thought again of the men who were apparently trying to take over with complete power.

Sosuke Aizen: the leader

Kaname Tosen: henchman

Gin Ichimaru: second in command

Her brows twitched at the last man.

"What an odd name," she said softly to herself. "Gin Ichimaru."

His name rolled off her tongue like quicksilver. No pun intended.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a knock sounded on her door and her mother poked her head in.

"Kagome, that nice boy Ichigo called for you. I told him you weren't feeling well, he said to tell you he wished you feel better."

Kagome gave the woman a small grin.

"Thanks mama."

"No problem dear." Right before she closed the door though, she said something else.

"Kagome?"

"Yeah?" she replied.

Misora looked at her warmly. "Four days without friends is long enough. Don't close yourself off again. You've endured a lot, stay brave."

Kagome stared at the now closed door.

_Brave_.

The word brought an onslaught of memories…specifically one that changed how she saw the world. She got up from her seat and walked over to her window, looking out at the clear sky.

'_I've had enough self pity. So what if I need to face danger or death? I promised to be brave. For you Miroku, I promised to be brave.'_

Kagome's eyes glazed over as she became lost in the memories of the past.

-o-o-o-

"HENTAI!"

Kagome and Shippo laughed as the monk fell with a crash to the ground, a large red handprint splayed on the side of his face. Sango huffed angrily and stomped away from her perverted fiancé.

"Honestly Miroku, why can't you keep your hand to yourself?" she bit at him.

Said monk dragged himself upright and grinned cheekily at her.

"Because my hand is cursed my dear, and you're the only cure I'll need."

The group laughed heartily as the taijiya blushed fiercely, her anger depleting. Even Inuyasha couldn't help but let out a smirk. No matter how tough Sango tried to act, she always becomes putty when it comes to Miroku.

Kagome smiled contently as she observed the people around her. It was one of those few rare times when everything seemed to be going right: they found a jewel shard, Naraku hadn't appeared to kill them all, Sesshomaru had agreed to join their group and would show up in a few days, and it was a gorgeous night, allowing them to relax for a while.

'_This peace won't last, but for now it's enough.'_

Her eyes strayed onto her half demon best friend who sat up in a tree watching the dark sky.

His hair gleamed in the moonlight, giving off an unnatural yet mesmerizing glow.

'_He's beautiful. And no matter how much he denies it, he's more like his brother than he cares to admit, both in looks and personality though they do have their differences. Sesshomaru has an untouchable, pristine type of look; all ice. But Inuyasha…Inuyasha is fire. Everything about him screams a fiery passion. Maybe that's why he keeps us all together. He's our light that leads us through this mess.'_

A yawn at her side broke her out of her thought. Looking down she saw her fox kit rubbing his eyes sleepily. Letting out a chuckle she picked him up.

"Alright, it's time for bed sleepy head."

Shippo whined softly, "Aww, 'Gome, do I have to?"

"Yes. Little demons need their rest to grow up big and strong."

"Pfft, I'm older than you 'Gome."

Kagome laughed and tucked him into her sleeping bag and kissed him goodnight.

"I'm going to sleep too. Good night everyone," said Sango as she lay on her own bag with Kirara curled next to her.

"Feh, you humans sleep too much. I'm gonna stay up and keep watch."

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha's declaration and rolled her eyes.

"Mmkay then, do what you want. Just don't exhaust yourself. Since I'm such a _measly human_, I'm going to bed," she replied.

Kagome turned toward her sleeping bag but stopped when she heard Miroku speak to her.

"Kagome-sama, may I speak to you privately before you turn in?"

"Eh? Sure, I guess."

Shrugging her shoulders she followed the purple-clad man as he led her away from the others.

She watched her friend from the corner of her eye as they walked. The goofy grin he held just a few moments ago was replaced with a calm, pensive look.

Kagome wondered what he could possibly want to talk to her about. As she discreetly observed him, she grinned inwardly.

'_He _is_ rather handsome, and Sango is so pretty too. I bet their kids are going to be absolutely adorable! They're going to make a wonderful family.'_

"Here is good enough I believe," Miroku said, drawing her out of her reverie.

Looking around she saw they were at a lake.

"Come, sit down."

Kagome sat, watching him curiously. Parking themselves on the grass, they sat in quiet for a moment, just looking at the water as it sparkled in the dim light.

Suddenly Miroku held out his arm, the one with the wind tunnel.

"Sometimes I forget about this. After having it for so long I learned to use this curse as a weapon. I forget that this weapon is like a double edged sword though, capable of being used against me as well."

Kagome didn't know what to say to this so she kept quiet and listened as he continued.

"My family is cursed to bear this burden unless I die of Naraku is defeated. Unfortunately that's probably going to happen at the same time."

At this Kagome tried to protest but Miroku shook his head.

"No, just listen Kagome," he said not unkindly. "I know my chances and they're slim. When we go into battle I will not hold back to protect myself. The wind tunnel will be fully exposed and I'll take in anything, saimyosho included. If the poison doesn't kill me then overusing the hole will. By some chance if that doesn't happen then Naraku will make the wind tunnel grow and lose control just to stop me. You know I'm right Kagome. I'm going to die, one way or another."

Kagome felt he stomach drop. Even though she was shaking her head in denial, she heard the truth resonating in his words.

'_He has no chance. Miroku's death is inevitable.'_

She was nauseated. Everything she had eaten was fighting to rise out of her stomach. Kagome closed her eyes as harsh reality sunk in.

"I've realized something else about this curse however. With every generation that it is passed on to, the end blast grows twice as strong. Do you understand what I mean?"

Kagome's eyes snapped open; she knew exactly what he meant.

"The explosion that would result from my hand would not only kill me, it'll destroy the entire vicinity…including you and the group."

An image of a desolate chunk of land flashed into her mind and she stared at him in horror.

He turned away from her, tilting his head up toward the heavens. The stars reflected off his violet eyes just as they do on the water. Then, in such a soft voice she had to strain to hear, he said:

"But there's a way to prevent that."

Kagome felt her heart jump with surprise and hope.

"What? How?"

Miroku turned and looked at her again. She felt a twinge of unease his eyes darkened and settled on hers.

"You have to kill me."

Okay, she didn't hear correctly. Obviously she spaced out and mixed up his words.

"Wh-what?" she stammered.

"You have to kill me," he repeated.

Kagome felt the blood drain out of her face and a cold feeling entering her body.

"N-no! What on earth are you talking about? You aren't thinking straight Miroku. You need some sleep, it's late."

"Listen to me Kagome, just think for a minute! I've done my research, and you know as well that the wind tunnel can't be used if the carrier is dead. This is the only way. If the tunnel explodes then we're all dead, but this way no one else besides me does. It's not as if I would live anyway. At least like this I can save you all!"

Kagome shook her head furiously; anger, terror, and shock infiltrating her.

"No! Stop being a martyr Miroku! This isn't the only way!"

"Yes it is!"

"Then why don't you ask Sango or Inuyasha?"

"What do you think? Sango would never do it and Inuyasha is too hard-headed. He'd try to play hero and just say he'll get to Naraku before anything happens. You're the only one who'd understand and carry it out."

"I can't!"

Miroku reached out and grabbed her hand in his, squeezing firmly.

"Kagome. Please. Do this for me as a request from a friend."

Kagome looked at the monk in front of her, his face was anguished and desperate. Her throat closed and burned. How could she even possibly think of killing him?

"Don't give Naraku the satisfaction of taking me life and destroying everything. I'm asking you to give me a quick honorable death."

It felt like a blow to her heart. If there was one thing she learned from traveling in the Feudal Era, it was that honor meant more to people than their life.

"Kagome…please."

She looked at him, taking in every detail of his face. He looked older than ever before. Like a man who understood more than his time. She closed her eyes and swallowed down the sob building inside of her. Slowly she nodded.

"Okay." She whispered.

Miroku's hand tightened on hers.

"Swear to me."

He voice shook as she said the words that bound her to him.

"I swear."

Kagome opened her eyes, disbelief at what she just swore to do. Miroku's grip on her lessened and his eyes softened. Giving her a tender look he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her shaking body. She sniffled into his neck as she buried her face against his shoulder.

"Shh, don't cry Kagome. It's going to be okay."

He rubbed her back soothingly, giving what comfort he could provide.

'_He's so calm about this…so brave. He knows what's going to happen yet he's trying to comfort me. I won't be a coward, he's counting on me. For you Miroku, I'll be brave.'_

Kagome blinked away the tears in her eyes and settled into the embrace of her friend, her brother…and the man she just promised to murder.

-o-o-o-

Reviews are welcome :)


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